Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Mommy Cheerleader

What are some of the things you do regularly in your practices of parenting?

My mummy friend, Sarah, had an on-going series about this topic and invited us to join in! And so, here is mine:

I regularly do cheers from my junior high and college cheerleading days to motivate my son.

Why?

I had started to become a nag. I nagged my son about hurrying to get out the door. I nagged him again to get in the car QUICKLY. I nagged him to get out of the car QUICKLY. I nagged so much he finally began telling me, before I could nag, "MOM, I'M DOING IT KLICKLY!"

And it hit me: I did not want to be a nag. First, who likes to be around a nag? Second, when has constant badgering ever really had a positive effect? I don't want his memories of his childhood to be of me, mommy dearest, shrilling at the top of my lungs for him to HURRY! CLEAN! WASH! OBEY!

So, I laid to rest the nag, and I resurrected the cheerleader. Oh yes, yours truly and her white legs cheered in junior high and college. I remember every cheer, every move, every dance and every stunt. I decided to use this useless knowledge to motivate my little dude.

When it's time for us to leave the house and he won't hurry?

L-E-T-S G-O, Let's go! Let's go!

When it's time for him to clean his toys at the end of the night and he is not interested?

Be aggressive, B-E aggressive! B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E, aggressive!!!

Yes, I am clapping, stomping and jumping my heart out while he giggles and does what I've asked. It changed everything, really. We're happy when we're hurrying, when it's time to clean and any other time he lacks some motivation. In fact, just the other day, he wanted a snack and I was reluctant to put down my book and go get it for him.

I'm no cheerer but I do love to sing so: "Buckle up, Buckle up, Buckle up, up up" to the tune of the William Tell overture has become known as the "Buckle Up" song and the two year old starts singing it as soon as he's in the car, while the others race to be buckled before I start to sing...K